The Hickey
by Shadowfang3000
Summary: "Not only cats have fangs." - After a furious make out session, Kokonoe is shocked to discover a mark on her neck. How can she hide it from her coworkers, who know nothing about her secret love life?


(A/N) You can never have too many Kokonoe X Ragna fics :P

Well I say that, but this fic doesn't actually have much Ragna in it. Most of it revolves around the life of Kokonoe at work, whilst butchering the continuity by saying that Litchi works in the same lab as her still.

Well, this probably won't work out but there's no harm in trying!

The idea of this was actually thought up in a strange way. I was waiting at one of London's busy bus stops, when a lorry came by from a local building company. The name of the company spurred me on to write this.

What was the company called?

Well, the title says it all.

Just a note: It'd probably be a good idea to read my story "Shaky Foundations" before this, even if it hasn't aged very well. It details the general backstory I use for all of my Kokonoe and Ragna fics, and can kind of help set the tone for their relationship.

WARNING: A bit of language, lots of perverse bits, lots spelling errors, OOC characters, a sucky romance story, continuity errors, and Tsundere Kokonoe as per usual.

**The Hickey**

The damned front door to the flat she called home always felt stiff. No matter how many times she rammed her shoulder into it or treated it to the exquisite taste of WD-40, it still sulked and whined with every push. The hinges squealed as she wrestled the door forward, her iron key practically creaking with effort.

One final push and the door burst free, rocketing forward and almost crashing into the adjacent wall. If it wasn't for her firm grip on the oak wood frame, she'd probably have to donate her entire week's pay check to repainting the already well-chipped beige walls.

_Still, it was home._

Not long ago she dreaded going home from work. The lab had actual air-conditioning, as well as a frightfully efficient coffee machine that put whipped cream on everything. However, in more recent months she couldn't wait to get back and put her legs up.

_Because now she had someone to go home to._

Having lived alone for the majority of her life, she leapt at Ragna's offer to lodge in her home and keep things arranged when she was gone. While he didn't have a real job, nor did he have any wage to pay for rent, he instead acted as a caretaker of sorts. He did all of the DIY work around the place, and often cooked meals for her.

_And also sat with her to chat._

Yes, the two had been in love for quite some time now, not that anyone else knew. She'd never been quite so comfortable with the public side of romance in modern times, and she had asked Ragna to keep quiet about it. Few people even knew that he lived with her, and even they didn't think that the bitter cat and the lazy man could be in any sort of relationship.

_How could people so hateful be in a relationship?_

_Even the most spiteful can find love with each other._

"Ragna? You in here?" She sighed, pushing the door closed with a prod of her foot. A few moments later his head stuck out of the kitchen door, a warm smile filling his face.

"Started to think you'd gotten distracted by a ball of yarn. How was work?" He asked, his hands covered by a pair of cheap green oven gloves. Having grown to ignore his teasing remarks, she followed him into the room as he turned back to continue his cooking. "Nothing special under the grill tonight, sorry."

It didn't matter to Kokonoe: Ragna was a surprisingly good cook if given the time and peace to work, and she would always enjoy a nice hot meal from him. Remembering that she'd been asked a question, she stood at the doorway to avoid getting in the way. "Usual shit fest, nothing interesting of note."

He chuckled at her deadpan response before hauling the tray of food out. It was nothing more than a plate of nibbles really, filled with battered prawns and the odd fish finger. Neatly plucking each one off of the tray and placing them onto a more suitable serving platter, he replied calmly. "Better to be boring than something unpredictable if you ask me."

Kokonoe nodded in acknowledgement as he turned with the tray. Stepping out of his way, he beckoned her to follow as he casually strolled to the living room and plonked the platter onto the coffee table with a dull clunk. As he lazily flopped on to a spot on the sofa, Kokonoe followed suit and sunk into the comfy confines of the cheap seat.

Not a word was spoken.

Ragna was surprised by Kokonoe's lack of energy. He'd made her one of her favourite treats, something she'd usually jump at the chance of eating. Draping his arm around her reassuringly, his voiced oozed a strange fatherly calm that he had seemed to have adopted around her.

"Tired?"

"Mmm." She replied, her eyelids low. Ragna frowned, rubbing her shoulder to try and comfort her. She worked incredibly long hours, and was given such a heavy payload of work for so little pay. It always worried him how she kept going for so long, but like everyone else in the world even she had her limits.

"Have something to eat then go to bed early Koko." He said, stretching a long arm forward and pinching a prawn by the tail. He hung it in front of her playfully, letting it rock back and forth in its place. "Say 'Ahhh'."

Her glare said it all.

And then she decided to kiss him.

Nothing suiting for a dramatic romance film; Just a little peck on the lips. Taking the prawn from his fingers she downed it in a single gulp, savouring the lovely taste of the fish. "Tasty."

"... I sure hope you're talking about the prawn." Ragna smiled, confused by her previous action. She reached out to grab a tight hold of his hand, as if unwilling to let him go.

"Work is always so dull and tedious." She began, snuggling a bit closer to the man she sat next to. Ragna did the same, letting her rest her head on his shoulder. "... I-I'm glad I can come home to see you Ragna..."

"Rare for you to be so open about things like this." He replied teasingly. True, she wasn't one for sweet talking, but she felt like bluntly telling him how she felt for once.

_He deserved that much._

"I love you so much..." She whispered, redness filling her cheeks from the sheer cheesiness of what she had said. Ragna fondled her ears playfully in response, nuzzling against her like an adoring pet.

"And I love you, kitty-cat."

She growled at the mentioning of such a stupid pet name, but a combination of fatigue and acceptance forced her to comply. Longing for their lips to meet once again, she purred gently. "M-Mew..."

_He always loved it when she did that._

Their kisses never lacked passion, nor did they lack a sense of challenge. Neither of the two were willing to submit without a fight, and they both wrestled their tongues furiously in an attempt to achieve dominance. Having had time to analyse his weak spots, Kokonoe instantly went for her first trump card and bit him ever so gently. She made sure to let her pointed fangs sink only slightly into his flesh, not wanting to expose him to harm.

Yet somehow he resisted.

That's not to say that he didn't register the action; his groan of pleasure certainly showed that it had an effect. Yet rather than crumble into her arms he continued his assault, rapidly gaining the upper-hand over her.

Now exposed to his vigorous attacks, he put his own plan into play. Pulling his lips away from hers with a beautiful pop, he bore his own teeth and went for her soft, spotless, virgin neck.

_Not only cats had fangs._

With no window of opportunity to try and parry, Kokonoe had no choice but to bear with it. She'd of course heard about the apparent pleasure one could get from love bites - she'd read enough crappy romance novels to know that. However, she had never mustered the courage to try one with her partner, primarily out of embarrassment that he might say no.

_Looked like a win-win situation today._

Ragna certainly didn't know what he was doing, but his fumbled attempt at recreating the manoeuvre worked either way. Only pressing his teeth slightly into the flesh of her neck, he began to slowly suck and kiss away. It subdued her instantly, practically paralysing her with the pleasure it granted.

Spurred on by her gentle moans and purrs, Ragna began to suck harder. Kokonoe felt a sharp pain as he bit her, but it was quickly overwhelmed by the surge of ecstasy that shocked her system when he started lapping his tongue around her sensitive skin.

_She wanted more._

Admitting defeat, she let her hands comb through his hair. She wanted him to feel good too, but to be honest there was nothing she could do to outmatch the sheer joy she was feeling from his playful actions.

"Harder..." She moaned, her grip on him tightening. Ragna obliged without question, truly wanting to give his lover a much needed reward for her hard work in the lab. He could feel the frantic beat of her pulse as he hastened his kisses, occasionally breaking off before biting down again.

Kokonoe tried to say "Keep going.", but her speech had slurred beyond human comprehension. To Ragna it likely sounded like "Cuwep... Guuh...", but he seemed to get the gist of it as he indeed continued.

He probably kept it up for a few more minutes until Kokonoe had calmed down. Pulling back one last time, he left a final kiss on her soft, luscious and vacant pink lips. As if brought back to life by this, Kokonoe kissed back with similar ferocity.

"Feel any better?" Ragna asked with a sly smile, his lips still coated in both his and her spittle. The woman was shuddering in place, despite the mingling warmth shared between them through their sheltering embrace.

"That was... A-Amazing..." She stuttered, taken completely off guard by the extent of the pleasure she had felt. She clung onto him lovingly as she tried to comprehend what she had just experienced.

_They should try that again sometime on the springs._

"I think you should go to bed." He said, backing away from their loving hug reluctantly. Kokonoe let go willingly, but visibly looked disappointed.

"Do I have to?" She sighed, suddenly feeling awake following their little "session". Ragna tutted like a parent who'd just found their child stealing from a cookie jar.

"Come on, it's Friday tomorrow. You'll have the Saturday off to do whatever you want." He grumbled, offering her a hand to haul herself up with. She placed her hand on his gently, allowing him to grip on and pull. Now at her full height – Which was a good foot shorter than the man before her – Kokonoe stretched uncomfortably.

While she did enjoy lying about on the sofa, it really did do a number on her limbs. She'd often walk away from her desk after a long session of paper filing to find herself stiffer than the upper-lip of a NOL Colonel.

"Are you going to bed soon?" She asked, not wishing to be alone in the chilly double bed of the house. She'd always had a fear of sleeping alone, and being with someone strong like Ragna made her feel safe.

Ragna patted her head reassuringly, something that generally ticked her off. "Yeah, just need to clean up the... Hold on, what's that on your neck?"

"Hmmm?"

Ragna bent his knees to try and get a better look at the offending sight. Placing a finger on the place he had bitten, she couldn't help but flinch from the contact at the still sensitive flesh. "Damn, that's bigger than what I expected."

"The hell are you talking about?" Kokonoe asked, sounding a bit more panicked as she desperately tried to deny the laws on nature and look at her own neck. Ragna shook his head to try and deter her.

"Just... Look in a mirror."

X

"WHAT DO I DO ABOUT THIS!?" She roared, glaring at the mark in the bedroom mirror. Ragna sighed from bed, sat up to observe her incessant whining about the bite. "I'VE GOT WORK TOMORROW, THEY'LL ALL SEE."

"Relax, it's just a hickey. So what if they see?" He asked, trying to pacify her and get her to go to sleep. She glared at him angrily, pacing towards him whilst keeping a permanent stare in motion.

"Ragna." She muttered. He didn't like it when she took this tone of voice, since it usually meant she was about to give him a furious tongue lashing. "If certain people find out that their boss is in a relationship, let's just say that I may be put on a registry for GBH."

"Then hide it." He said.

"With what?" She growled in response, knowing that she wouldn't like the answer.

"Make-up?"

"Hell no, I'm not trying that again." Kokonoe yelled, shaking her head in denial. She had attempted to wear make-up years ago in a vain attempt to try and get Ragna's attention before their relationship had begun. The end result resembled a combination of a clown and a child's first painting.

Ragna patted the half-empty bed, prompting Kokonoe to finally lie down under the covers. Pondering to himself for a moment, he decided to sling another suggestion. "You could wear a scarf or something."

_A scarf?_

"I'm a Scientist, not a damn hipster Artist!" Kokonoe grumbled, folding her arms like a spoilt kid not getting their way. "My career is over; I'm just going to have to accept it."

"Now that's just being over the top." Ragna chuckled, trying to calm her down. Reaching for her small hands, he patted her palms gently. "I know you're nervous about this sort of thing, but it won't end your career."

Kokonoe pouted irritably, staring at her lap in defiance. "... Fine, I'll wear the stupid scarf."

Looking more adorable than usual when she was feigning grumpiness, she reached for the bedside lamp and tugged on its ignition. The light dimmed, and the room was bathed in black as the two tried to get some sleep.

After a few moments of general silence, Kokonoe came to a realisation. "... I haven't got a scarf."

"Well." Ragna sighed, having been interrupted from his rest. "Guess you'll have to wear mine."

X

Kokonoe had never understood the concept of honking a car horn whilst driving past a woman. Whenever she was travelling to work with one of her rather pretty colleagues, she'd usual hear a couple of beeps from passing men in their vehicles.

"_Get your tits out love!"_

Why in god's name did men do that? Did they think that somehow, if they shouted their perverse desires, they'd come true? Would a woman swivel around to look him in the eye and gasp "My future lies with that hunk of a man!"?

_Knowing what most people are like, they probably would._

Litchi had called in late to the lab today, so Kokonoe was alone in her long trek to work. It felt awkward wandering around the streets alone this early in the morning, and it didn't help that today she was trying to hide a significant portion of her neck from public view.

_She was so embarrassed._

A portion of her mind had always wanted to reveal her relationship to the outside world. While she was one to prefer keeping romance and friendships separate, the heavy weight she felt on her chest did nothing but hold her back. Part of her was convinced that if she told someone the truth, she'd be a lot more comfortable with life.

But of course, her bitter and cynical thought pattern came to ruin all sense of hope. Ragna wasn't exactly the most venerated man on the planet, having many a bounty on his head from the Librarium. He tended to agree that the safest approach to their relationship was to keep it a secret from the public.

_But the safest choice wasn't necessarily the best one._

_Nor was it the happiest one._

Crossing an intersection and slipping between a duo of parked cars, Kokonoe found herself absorbed into a large crowd of commuters and office workers on the daily routine. It was amusing to note how all of these people had different jobs to her. In their eyes, she was probably just a normal desk jockey rather than an esteemed scientist working against the government.

_Well, in all honesty she did more paperwork than actual science._

That didn't save her the curious glances of the people surrounding her. It was early June, and while the weather wasn't boiling it was certainly starting to warm. So imagine the confusion of the men and women in her proximity when they spotted what she was wearing around her neck.

Alas, no one wants to speak in the busy morning, so she was spared any criticism or rude comments.

_That didn't change what they were thinking though._

The tartan fabric around her throat itched tremendously, irritating her already reddened neck. She longed to remove it, but that simply wasn't an option in these circumstances. All she could do was hope that no one intruded on her in her office today, allowing her to take the cloth off inside.

Alas, she'd rarely make it through a day without an intruder. She was the primary source of information for over fifty different researchers within Sector Seven, and while Tager took care of a large amount of the fools for her, she still had to visit at least six people a day.

These thoughts and anxieties accompanied her as she entered her workplace, the laboratory still rather empty this early in the morning. She had always been the early bird, often waking up before her mother and father as a child.

"_The early bird gets the worm."_

Pushing through the entrance, she was welcomed by the chill of the laboratory floor. For the first time all day she was glad to have a scarf on, the freezing glacial winds of the building converting her into a trembling mess on many days. A few researchers and scientists sat around tables or desks, chatting quietly whilst eating their breakfasts. While Kokonoe would've once skipped her breakfast entirely, Ragna had hastily cobbled together a filling meal to keep her going throughout the day.

_What she'd do without him._

Her underlings usually did all they could to keep away from her, her infamous reputation striking fear into many aspiring hearts. However, today she could feel their filthy eyes observing her as she wandered to her office.

"_Is that a scarf...?"_

"_Grandma called, she wanted her knitting back!"_

"_I bet she's wearing that for a joke or something."_

Slipping into her office and slamming the door shut, she swivelled around to be met with a rather fearful sight. Shuffling through some filing cabinets was a man of over seven feet, his muscular and bulging body a blood red. A normal person would run off screaming at the sight of this intimidating devil, but thankfully he was the exact opposite of what he resembled.

"Get out of my office Tager." Kokonoe mumbled in monotone, walking past him and making for her desk. The Red Devil continued to sort through numerous reports and notes, a pile of papers sitting beside his feet.

"I won't be long, Litchi asked me to bring her some of the old-" Tager paused half way through his explanation, turning to shoot a glance at his boss's neck. She stared back at him defiantly, her lips curled into an insulted scowl.

"The hell are you looking at?" She grumbled, slowly pulling her chair back as she continued to glare at him. Few could maintain eye contact with her for more than five seconds without bursting into ash, yet Tager was standing strong.

_Not only that, he was smirking._

"... Are you feeling a bit fashionable today professor?"

"What?" Kokonoe mumbled, absentmindedly shoving her seat back under her desk.

"It's just that..." Tager began, folding his arms and raising an eyebrow. "The scarf looks _very _nice on you, professor."

"S-Shut up." She spat in response, using her usual comeback for when she was caught by surprise. Not taking the time to consider a logical reply, she continued by slinging an additional stock phrase at the hulking man. "It's not like I want to wear this!"

"Then why are you wearing it?" Tager asked curiously, almost sounding as if he was enjoying every last moment of her unease. "Surely you can take it off?"

Kokonoe was stuck between fire and a hot place, but that didn't mean she couldn't escape from this situation. The issue was that she was becoming extremely nervous, and once again she blurted out a reply rather than halting to think of something clever. "But if I take it off, people might see my-"

She held her self back at the last moment, prompting a tilt of the Red Devil's head. "... Your..?"

"... My..." She whispered, holding onto the word for a considerable period of time as she crafted a decent response. Alas, none came to her within her time window, and she decided to go with the first thing that came to mind. "... My tattoo...?"

"You've gotten a tattoo?" Tager gasped, combining scepticism and confusion into a single sentence. Leaning over to heave the considerable pile of paperwork onto his shoulder, he continued. "I never expected something like that from you: You always go on about how stupid such things are.

"I-I've turned over a new leaf!" Kokonoe responded, her body huddling together nervously. "I'm... I-I'm into modern fashion now, that's it."

"Well, I can't question what you believe in professor." Tager smiled, yawning gently whilst turning for the door. "Although there aren't any regulations against tattoos in here, so there's no point in hiding it."

"It says a rude word!" She insisted, punching her desk to emphasise the point. Tager nodded as he wrestled through the tiny doorframe, quietly chuckling to himself as he went.

Kokonoe sank into her seat as his heavy footsteps faded into silence.

_Bloody perfect there._

_Absolutely outstanding._

Burying her face into her palms, Kokonoe grumbled irritably. Tager was one of the few people she could comfortably speak to, and if she had that much trouble making up excuses for _him, _how the hell could she keep it up for the entire day?

Her hands and body were sweaty from her previous fear, and that certainly didn't help the itching irritation the scarf brought forth. Trying to find a distraction, she reached for a pen and tried to get to work.

_Kokonoe...?_

_... What was it again?_

Rubbing her temples, she pondered for a moment. She had started writing her name, but for some reason the text was a blur. Readjusting her glasses, she stared intensely at the lined paper in front of her, which in turn responded to her impolite glare with a bout of judging silence.

_Oh god._

_She'd forgotten how to read!_

With all of this anxiety and stress wrecking her synapses, she'd forgotten the very concept of reading and writing. The black scrawl in front of her was supposed to be her name, yet for some bizarre reason she couldn't tell what she had written!

She needed a coffee, and she needed it _now._

Hauling herself out of her desk chair, she stumbled forward and prodded her door open. Through the crack of the door she saw a few bumbling scientists, yet Tager was nowhere to be found.

"Tager..." She whined, rolling the name on her tongue. "I want a coffee."

_No reply._

He was likely at the other side of the laboratory in Litchi's department at the moment, giving her those papers he collected and exchanging japes at Kokonoe's expense. The scientists under her would usually mock and joke about her, so it was more than likely that those two exercised the same trait.

A fat scientist with a rather dirty looking sanchez made the mistake of briefly locking eyes with Kokonoe, prompting her to ask him a question. "Oi, fatass."

"Y-Yes sir?" He stuttered, flinching under her bitter glare. "Ma'am! I-I mean... Ma'am?"

"Get me a coffee." She commanded, only a single eye visible through the crack in the door. "And make sure there're some cookies with it, or I'll sack you."

"Ummm... O-Okay ma'am..." He complied with her blunt threat, clumsily dropping a vial of chemicals and jogging away. His body rippled as he dragged his heavy frame forward, prompting a scoff of disgust from Kokonoe.

_She hated it when they were like that._

While she was certainly quite the lone wolf, that didn't mean that she hated talking to people. Far from it: She enjoyed having a nice chat with someone from time to time, and her relationship with Ragna was an example. She felt panicked and anxious, yet no one was here for her to pour her fear into.

_No one could hear her plight._

Planting herself onto her chair once more, she sighed irritably. The text was slowly becoming legible again, but that did little to comfort her. She still had an incredibly itchy neck, and felt an overwhelming desire to remove the scarf.

_Just do it._

Moaning in discomfort, she reached for the tartan fabric and tugged. Within seconds the long knitted cloth unravelled, falling gently onto her lap and leaving her sensitive flesh bare to the elements. The hickey had become even more visible over night, much to her chagrin.

Yet for some reason the sight of it filled her with a sense of happiness. Perhaps the fact that it was a physical symbol of love from her most dearest companion was the reason? It served as a reminder that someone out in the world loved her tremendously, and was in a relationship with her; something she was proud to be part of.

A few years ago she'd thought nothing of love. She had none of it, and ran by the simple schedule of work, sleep, eat sweets. Yet with the introduction of Ragna in her life, she had changed tremendously. She still had her cheeky habits, but she was becoming far much happier with every passing day. She was starting to go to work with a smile on her face, and it had been a source of confusion for many a colleague.

She giggled at the thought, imagining herself marching up to Tager and Litchi and just admitting it.

"_I'm in love, and it's the greatest thing that's ever happened to me."_

"Hey Kokonoe, are you in by any chance...?" A voice suddenly called, the door being nudged open without any prior warning.

_Time to put that thought to the test._

Gently stepping in, Litchi bowed her head politely. Kokonoe instantly reached for the scarf, but the confounded cloth slithered down her lap and flopped under her desk, hiding from her in fear. With no other options, Kokonoe slapped her hand against the mark in a vain attempt to try and cloak it.

"H-Hey..." Kokonoe began, trying to look as casual and collected as she usually was. "What's up?"

Litchi stared at her superior's neck with a genuine look of confusion plastered onto her face. After a moment, she began to walk towards the desk elegantly whilst speaking in a worried tone. "Are you okay Kokonoe?"

"Yeah." She insisted, rubbing the mark slowly. "I... I-I just have a sore neck, yeah."

Litchi tilted her head in a curious manner, and from there on Kokonoe knew she was pretty much screwed. Litchi had various mother like qualities to her, and one of them was to persist like a bad case of acne. "A sore neck? Come here, I'll have a look at it for you."

"I just need some p-painkillers, don't worry!" Kokonoe yelped, not being able to halt the woman as she stood by her side and leant over closely. While she kept her hand on the mark, she was certain that Litchi already knew what was there.

"Move your hand, Kokonoe." Litchi smiled, her soft and delicate voice calming her panicked pulse. "I won't _bite_."

_Yeah, she knows._

_She's just mocking you now._

Nervously admitting defeat, Kokonoe let her hand slowly slide away from the mark. She stared at her lap in embarrassment as Litchi observed the hickey, a comedic sigh punctuating her thoughts.

"My-my, that is a rather nasty looking sore." Litchi began, diagnosing her patient with the utmost efficiency. Still thinking that she could salvage something from the pits of Hades, Kokonoe played one last card from her deck of Jokers.

"I-It's a bug bite."

"Looks suspiciously like a _love _bite to me." She teased, tapping her lips. "And unless you're friends with a house fly, I highly... Sorry, I highly... H-High..."

Litchi couldn't hold on any longer at that point, erupting into a fit of giggles. Kokonoe's cheeks matched the fury of her hair as she blushed in embarrassment, her mind begging her to disappear from the face of the planet.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Litchi choked between giggles, her face filled with a toothy smile. "You just look so _adorable_ when you're embarrassed!"

"Sod off..." Kokonoe grumbled, pouting childishly. "L-Leave me alone."

"You look even more adorable like that!" Litchi cooed, like an obsessive fangirl squealing over a signed photograph

"S-Shut up, dumbass!"

Her counterpart eventually calmed down, and with that she leant over to continue the conversation.

"I'm only being silly Kokonoe." She chuckled, holding onto her hand reassuringly. She was a trained psychiatrist, and with that in mind she did know how to approach various people. "I'm dying to know who the lucky boy is!"

Kokonoe didn't reply at all, having resorted to resting her head on her desk and sheltering herself with her arms. Most would see it as a childish tactic used to avoid responsibility, and to be honest?

_It was that exactly._

"You can tell me, I'll keep it a secret." Litchi smiled, tapping her nose to indicate this. "They couldn't get it out of me if they tried!"

"... I-I don't want to say..."

"Very well, I understand." Litchi sighed, knowing that she wasn't entirely comfortable with spilling the beans. She rose to her feet and turned to the door, dusting down her creased outfit as she went. Kokonoe slowly raised her head from the desk as Litchi opened the door, her jaw trembling with anticipation.

"Ragna."

Litchi almost tripped upon the sudden blurting out of the name, swiveling around and locking eyes with the pink haired woman. "Sorry?"

"R-Ragna... I'm... I-I'm with Ragna..." Kokonoe admitted, sighing heavily as the weight lessened on her chest. Litchi's confused expression was a curious sight to see as she ran the name through her mental databanks with great haste.

"Ragna? As in... Ragna the Bloodedge?" She recalled, the notorious criminal coming to mind. Kokonoe nodded reluctantly, the redness of her cheeks having been steadily intensifying over the past few minutes. Litchi giggled at this display, noticing her gentle smile as well as her feline ears wiggling in embarrassment.

"Don't laugh at me you idiot!" Kokonoe grumbled, trying to regain her composure. She didn't want Litchi to see her in such a weak state any longer, but she didn't really seem to care.

"To be honest, I'm kind of jealous." She smiled, walking back towards the desk with her arms folded. Kokonoe raised her eyebrow in confusion, not knowing what the woman was even talking about.

"Jealous?"

Litchi leant over the desk and brought herself close to the professor, extending a hand to pat her head teasingly. "He couldn't be any more lucky, Kokonoe."

She left after those words, leaving Kokonoe on her lonesome with the phrase hanging in the air. It wasn't until the large scientist returned with her coffee in hand that she realised what she meant.

"H-Here's your coffee, ma'am." The scientist croaked, the tray he bore clattering as he slowly wandered towards her desk. She cleared the way for him as he placed it down, the cup of coffee being surrounded by numerous biscuits and cakes.

"Thank you very much." Kokonoe smiled, nodding at him as she reached for her succulent drink. The scientist flinched at this unfamiliar friendliness from his boss, having heard that she was the type who'd beat your head in simply because she felt like it.

"Ma'am?"

"Yeah?" She responded, taking an ecstatic sip of the sugar filled coffee. It really was the kick she needed to spur herself on. "What's wrong Schmidt?"

"Ah, n-nothing." He stuttered, shocked to discover that she knew his name. "You... Just seem happier than usual today, that's all."

"Do I?" Kokonoe asked, prompting a hasty nod from Schmidt. After a moment's silence, she shrugged her shoulders. "Guess I have something to smile about."

X

(A/N): Another fic that I wrote in two big chunks :P

Also another _failure _of a fic, but at least it's a long one son! :D

I've come to notice over the past few months that writing oneshots is a lot more fun than writing continuous stories. I think it's mainly because you have to stick to an update schedule for chapter based stories; something I'm rather bad at xD

Anyway, hope you enjoyed. If you can tell where the first massive chunk I wrote ends, I'll give you an internet cuddle :)


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